Map based payment authorization

ABSTRACT

A map-based interface can be used to enable a user to provide another person with funds that can be used at a particular location. In at least some embodiments, a user can select one or more buildings, locations, establishments, or other such locations and indicate an amount of money that another person is authorized to spend at that location. The funds can be provided by the user using any appropriate mechanism, such as a credit card or back account. The recipient of the funds can use information in a portable device of the user to authenticate the recipient to an establishment, which can use the dual-key information of the recipient identity and establishment location to obtain authorization to utilize the designated funds as at least partial payment for a transaction of the recipient at that establishment.

BACKGROUND

As technologies such as near field communications (NFC) are increasinglysupported by mobile and portable electronic devices, people areincreasingly utilizing these technologies for various types oftransactions. For example, a smart phone with an NFC chip can enable auser to provide a payment for a transaction wirelessly using informationstored on the device, where that information typically is tied to acredit or bank account associated with the user. As users rely moreheavily on these technologies, the users will rely less frequently oncash and gift cards, where stores even support gift cards. In situationswhere a person wants to give another person a specified amount of moneyfor a particular purpose, such as for a birthday or as part of a child'sallowance, there is currently no convenient way to utilize NFC and othersuch technologies to provide that amount, or at least to control howthat money is spent. For example, a parent might not want to associate acredit card with a child's device, and transferring funds to an accountassociated with a child's device provides no control over how thosefunds are utilized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure will bedescribed with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example interface display wherein a user is ableto select a location displayed on a map in accordance with variousembodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates an example interface display wherein a user hasselected a location on the map and the user then is able to specify anamount of money to be available to another user at that location inaccordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates an example environment in which a computing devicecan utilize funds for a transaction at a designated location that can beused in accordance with various embodiments;

FIGS. 4(a) and (b) illustrate example interface displays that can bepresented to different users upon use of designated funds in accordancewith at least one embodiment;

FIGS. 5(a) and (b) illustrate example interface displays that can bepresented to a user selecting an address or location corresponding tomultiple entities in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 6 illustrates an example interface display enabling a user to seeavailable designated funds in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 7 illustrates an example process for authorizing payment that canbe used in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 8 illustrates an example process for utilizing an authorizedpayment that can be used in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 9 illustrates an example computing device that can be utilized inaccordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 10 illustrates an example configuration of components of an examplecomputing device such as that illustrated in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 illustrates an example environment in which various embodimentscan be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Systems and methods in accordance with various embodiments of thepresent disclosure may overcome one or more of the aforementioned andother deficiencies experienced in conventional approaches totransferring funds and/or authorizing access to funds for any of avariety of purposes. In particular, various embodiments enable a user toprovide payment for a transaction using an electronic device, where thatelectronic device includes identifying information that has beenassociated with a source of funding. The identifying information can beassociated with that source of funding by another person or entity, suchas a person providing a gift, allowance, or payment to a particularuser. In addition to enabling a user to utilize those funds for atransaction using an appropriate electronic device, the persons causingthe funds to be transferred can also have at least some control overwhere and/or how those funds are used.

In at least some embodiments, a person wanting to transfer funds to anintended recipient is able to access a map-based interface enabling thatperson to select one or more locations on the map. The location maycorrespond to, for example, an address, a building, a set perimeter, atype of business, and the like. The person can specify an amount to betransferred to an account associated with a particular recipient, forexample, and indicate that the funds are only to be used at the selectedlocation(s). In some embodiments other limitations can be specified aswell, such as chains or types of stores, stores within a certaingeographical area, stores selling certain types of goods, etc. In someembodiments, the person also can specify other attributes, such as typesof items that cannot be purchased using the funds. Such an approachenables a gift card-like approach to be utilized for transactions atlocations that might not otherwise support gift cards, but are able toaccept funds via the recipient's electronic device.

In some embodiments, a person might be able to authorize funds to betransferred to a recipient via the map-based interface, where thosefunds are to come from an account (e.g., bank or credit) associated withthe sender. In other embodiments, a one-time or limited credit accountcan be opened for the amount designated by the sender, which then can beassociated with the intended recipient. When the recipient exhausts thefunds in that temporary account, the account number can be recycled andno longer available to the user. Various other funding approaches can beused as well within the scope of the various embodiments.

In addition, various embodiments provide notifications to the senderand/or recipient when the funds are used. For example, the recipientwhen spending the funds could receive a message indicating the personfrom whom those funds were received. In some embodiments, the recipientcan then have the ability to send a thank you note or other such messageto the sender. In some embodiments, a notification can also be sent tothe sender, such that the sender can know that the funds were used and,in some cases, can also learn what the recipient purchased with thefunds.

Various other applications, functions, and advantages are presentedbelow with respect to the various embodiments. It should be understoodthat the description and figures provide a number of examples, but thealternatives and variations possible within the scope of the variousembodiments are not fully described. There alternatives and variations,however, would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in lightof the teachings and suggestions contained herein.

FIG. 1 illustrates a first example state 100 of a computing devicedisplaying a map-based interface on a display element 102 in accordancewith one embodiment. Although a portable computing device (e.g., a smartphone, an e-book reader, or tablet computer) is shown, it should beunderstood that various other types of electronic device that arecapable of determining and processing input can be used in accordancewith various embodiments discussed herein. These devices can include,for example, desktop computers, notebook computers, personal dataassistants, cellular phones, video gaming consoles or controllers, andportable media players, among others. In this example, a user of thedevice has accessed the map-based interface using any appropriateapproach, such as by opening a map-generating Web page through anInternet browser or opening a payment authorization application on thecomputing device.

In the example of FIG. 1, the user has selected a particular locationcorresponding to a building 106 represented on the map, such as bymoving a cursor 104 to a location at or near the location, pressing theuser's finger on a particular location, or using another such selectionapproach. It should be understood, however, that the user can utilizeanother approach to provide information based at least in part upon themap display, such as by entering an address into a text box, selecting atype of store from a list or stores in a given area, etc. In at leastsome embodiments, an application executing on the device (or on a remotesystem) can attempt to determine information corresponding to the inputlocation, as may include a type of entity at that location, a boundaryor perimeter of a property at or near that location, an address nearthat location, and/or other such information. In this example, where theuser is intending to authorize a payment or otherwise transfer funds toanother user based at least in part upon the input location, theapplication can attempt to determine at least one store, restaurant,market, or other such entity corresponding to that location at which theuser might want to authorize funds for a transaction.

For example, FIG. 2 illustrates another example state 200 of thecomputing device, wherein the selection of a particular building by auser triggered an interface element 202, such as a popup or modalwindow, that enables the user to enter or select information about thatlocation. In this example, the mapping/authorization application hasdetermined that the user selected a location that most likelycorresponds to a store called “Barb's books.” Any of a number ofconsensus or determination algorithms can be used to determine anappropriate establishment based on the input location in accordance withthe various embodiments. In instances where a consensus cannot bereached (with at least a minimum level of certainty) as to which entitymatches the location, a list of possible matches might be presented tothe user to enable the user to specify the intended entity. Variousother approaches to clarifying the intended entity or establishment canbe utilized as well as should be apparent in light of the presentdisclosure.

In FIG. 2, the user can specify any of a number of different types ofinformation to be used to authorize the transaction. In this example theuser has specified a particular recipient 204 of the funds, as well asan amount 206 to be authorized for that recipient. In some embodimentsthe user might be able to authorize up to a limited amount of funds, orup to an amount available from a particular source, such as a useraccount. The user has also specified the type of authorization 208, inthis case a one-time authorization. There can be various other types ofauthorizations in accordance with the various embodiments as well, suchas weekly, monthly, or other periodic or recurring authorizations. Insome embodiments, the authorization might occur upon each instance ofthe user entering a location or type of establishment, up to a certainlimit in at least some embodiments. For example, a parent mightauthorize a child to be able to spend up to $10 each time the childenters a book store, or $5 each time the user enters a school cafeteria.In some embodiments the user might specify this as a daily limit, ormight put a limit on the authorization such as up to $20 a day, eventhough each individual occurrence might only have a $10 authorization.Such an approach can enable a parent to ensure a child has money forbreakfast, lunch, and dinner, if needed, but cannot splurge beyond areasonable amount at any given sitting.

The user can also specify various other criteria in accordance withvarious embodiments. For example, the user can specify a source of thefunds, such as a credit card or bank account of the user. The user canalso specify how the funds are to be delivered, such as whether therecipient can utilize the user's credit card number up to the authorizedamount at the time of purchase, whether a temporary account is to becreated, whether the funds are to be transferred into a controlledaccount for the recipient, etc. Also, it should be understood that,while drop-down boxes are shown, the interface can include anyappropriate user-accessible element to enable the user to provide orspecify the necessary information.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of an environment 300 in which thetransferred and/or authorized funds can be accessed by a recipient inaccordance with various embodiments. In this example, the recipientaccesses an electronic device 302 associated with the recipient toattempt to pay for at least part of a transaction with a particularentity, in this case a store 304 in which the recipient is currentlylocated. The electronic device 302 in this example includes anappropriate payment and/or authentication technology, such as a nearfield communications (NFC) chip enabling identifying information to beprovided to authorize access to various types of funding. The store alsohas at least one communication module 306 operable to communicate withthe electronic device, such as through an NFC-related communicationschannel, to enable the information to be obtained to allow the store toobtain payment via the information on the electronic device. Often, theelectronic device will be brought to within a specific range of an NFCdetection device, such as by tapping the electronic device against theNFC detection device, in order to ensure that the NFC detection devicedoes not accidentally detect and charge the transaction to anothernearby device. In at least some embodiments, there will be identifyinginformation transferred to a payment module 308 of the store, which cancommunicate over at least one appropriate network (e.g., a cellularnetwork or the Internet) to communicate with an entity such as anaccount holder 314 (e.g., a bank or credit card company). Theidentifying information obtained from the device, as well as address orlocation information for the store, etc., can be compared against theinformation stored in an account data store 316 for the account holder314 to determine whether the funds are available for that particularuser and/or device at that particular location.

In some embodiments, the account holder 314 can also manage theinformation provided by the sender of the funds, as may include anallowed location or type of business, an authorized amount, etc. Inother embodiments, a third party provider such as an authorizationmanagement service 318 can provide information that can be used toauthorize the providing of funds for the transaction. For example,authorization information such as that entered with respect to theexample of FIG. 2 can be collected by the authorization managementservice 318 and stored to an appropriate authorization data store 320.When the user attempts to pay for at least part of a transaction usingthe portable computing device 302, the identifying information from thedevice can be combined with geo-location data or other such informationfor the store and sent over the one or more networks 312 to theauthorization management service 318.

The authorization management service 318 can compare the identity andlocation information to authorization information stored in theauthorization data store 320. If there is a match, the authorizationmanagement service can provide an authorization to the payment module308 for the store 304 and/or the account holder 314, enabling thepayment module and account holder to transfer funds for the transactionover an appropriate secure channel or other such mechanism. In at leastsome embodiments, the authorization service can provide otherinformation as well, such as an amount of the authorization, whetherthere are multiple authorizations that can be combined, a source of theauthorization, an allowed or prohibited type of transaction, and/orother such information. This information can be used to assist thepayment module 308 or another such element of the store 304 to determinewhether, and to what extent, funds can be utilized for the desiredtransaction. In at least some embodiments, the store 304 will verifythat the funds can be applied to at least a portion of the transactionbefore contacting the account holder 314. In at least some embodiments,the account holder will obtain the authorization information from theauthorization management service 314 and transaction data from thepayment module 308 and make a separate verification before enabling thefunds to be accessed and/or transferred for the pending transaction.Various other approaches can be used as well within the scope of thevarious embodiments.

Once the use of specific funds is authorized, the transaction can becompleted using any appropriate technique known or used in the art forcausing electronic payment to be made for one or more items (includingproducts, virtual objects, and/or services) once a source of funding isidentified. As should be apparent, there can be multiple sources offunding used for a transaction, such as where the user has a $10authorization from a particular temporary account but spends over thatamount, whereby the remainder can be deducted from a different account,paid for with cash, etc. In at least some embodiments, the device willprompt the user to approve the sources of funding to be used. Forexample, a user might have two virtual gift cards available and onlywant to use one for the current transaction. Similarly, a user might bepurchasing an item that the user does not want the sender of a virtualgift card to know the user purchased, or at least purchased with avirtual gift card. Further, a user might want to know how much is beingcharged to a separate account for which the user is responsible.

There can also be various other types of notifications provided inresponse to the transaction. For example, FIG. 4(a) illustrates anexample display on a computing device 400 of a recipient of a source offunds who used those funds to purchase an item as part of a transaction.In this example, the notification indicates to the user who provided thefunds that were used to purchase one or more items in the transaction.In some embodiments, a transaction with multiple items can cause theuser to be prompted to specify the item(s) to which the funds are to beapplied. In this example, the user can see that the credit or funds usedto purchase an item were provided by that user's grandmother. This canbe a reminder of the provider of the funds or credit, or can in someinstances be an initial notification of the sender of those funds. In atleast some embodiments, the user can also be provided with one or moreoptions 402 to perform specific functions in response to thenotification. For example, the recipient can send a thank you note tothe sender, which can be automatically generated and/or personalized bythe recipient. A recipient can also select an option to view othercredits for that location, nearby locations, all other availablecredits, etc. In some embodiments, this notification can include ananimation, audio file playback, and/or personal note selected by thesender, such as to wish the recipient a happy birthday.

FIG. 4(b) illustrates an example display on a computing device 410 ofthe sender of the funds or credit that was used, by the recipient, topurchase an item. In this example, the sender can receive a notificationindicating that the funds provided to the recipient were used. In thisexample, the notification also indicates the item for which therecipient used the funds. In some embodiments, a picture of the item canbe included, where available and/or taken by the recipient. Asmentioned, in some embodiments the recipient can customize the messageor at least select a type of notification to be generated. In at leastsome embodiments, the sender can cause information for the item to bestored for future reference, such as where the sender wants to keeptrack of the interests of the recipient for future purchases, topics ofconversation, etc. Although a pop-up style notification is displayed, itshould be understood that a notification can take any appropriate form,such as an email message, instant message, text message, item on a Webpage, etc.

As mentioned, such a map-based approach can enable a sender to providefunds or credit to a recipient that can be tied to a specific store,address, region, or other such location or area. In the example of FIG.1, the sender selected a specific building from the map in order toauthorize the spending of funds by the recipient at a retailer housed inthat building. In many instances, however, a selected location might notcorrespond to a single specific store or entity. For example, thelocation might be an indoor flea market that can include multiplevendors that can change on any given day. In such a situation, amap-based authorization application or service might tie theauthorization to within the boundary of the building. If the flea marketcan also include outside vendors, the authorization might be tied to theboundary of the property on which the flea market is held. The type ofauthorization can be based upon information stored for that location,entered by the user, or obtained from a third party source. If theauthorization is for an arts and crafts festival in a town center, theauthorization might be for a distance from a given center point, withina boundary of the town, or using any other appropriate locationdesignation.

In some instances there might be multiple providers associated with alocation but the sender only wants to authorize the funds to be usedwith one or more specific providers at that location. For example, FIG.5(a) illustrates an example situation 500 wherein a user has selected,using the user's finger 504, a cursor, or other appropriate selectionmechanism, a location 502 corresponding to a mall or shopping center.The mall contains several different stores, and the sender might onlyintend for the funds to be used at certain locations, such as clothingstores or book stores. In at least some embodiments, selecting such alocation can cause a separate map 512, sub-map, listing, or other suchdisplay to be provided as illustrated in the example 510 of FIG. 5(b).This map can be provided from any appropriate source, such as a sourceassociated with the mall or a third party entity. In this example, theuser can select at least one of the stores contained within the mallfrom the mall-specific map 512, such as by clicking on or pressing anarea associated with each intended store. In some embodiments, a usercan alternatively select stores where the user does not want the fundsto be authorized. For example, the recipient might be authorized to usethe funds at any store or location in the mall other than the storesselected by the sender, such as a bar or smoke shop. A similar approachcould be used for the recipient's home town or college, where the senderauthorizes funds to be spent within a certain region except at certainstores or locations.

As mentioned, a sender in at least some embodiments can authorize (ornot authorize) funds to be used at specific types of locations and/orfor certain types of goods and services. For example, a sender mightselect a book store in town but then authorize the recipient to alsospend the funds at any other bookstore in town, or for a bookindependent of the seller of that book within the town. Similarly, aparent might give a student an allowance to be spent on campus butspecify that the funds are not to be used at a bar or for alcohol at anylocation. Various other combinations and approaches can be used as wellwithin the scope of the various embodiments.

In at least some embodiments, a recipient can pull up a list of thepending authorizations that the recipient has not yet used, as well aspotentially past authorizations as well. For example, FIG. 6 illustratesan example display 600 showing available credits for a user. The displaycan provide any appropriate information, such as the location at whichthe funds are authorized, the amount authorized (or remainder of fundsunder the authorization), and a sender or source of the funds. Thedisplay in this example also includes any limitations on the use of thefunds, such as to be used only for books or to be used for anything butalcohol at a particular establishment. As illustrated, the types oflocation can vary from any location of a retail chain to locations of achain within an area, any location of a type of store, and any otherappropriate location type discussed or suggested elsewhere herein. Suchan interface can provide various options 602 to the user as well. Forexample, the user can select an option to send a thank you message forone of the authorizations, such as where a new authorization isreceived. The user can also potentially select an option to request morefunds, such as where a parent provides an amount of funding forschool-related expenses to the recipient. The user can also selectoptions to perform various other types of functions, such as to transferthe credit to another person, reject the authorization, request a changein the limitations, etc.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example process 700 for authorizing a payment,credit, or transfer of funds that can be used in accordance with variousembodiments. It should be understood that there can be additional,fewer, or alternative steps performed in similar or alternative orders,or in parallel, within the scope of the various embodiments. In thisexample, a mapping and/or funding application is activated 702, such asby the user selecting an icon associated with the application oraccessing a Web page associated with the application. As discussed, theapplication can be a dedicated map-based authorization application, orthe payment authorization may be offered as a plug-in or otherwise workwith one or more separate mapping applications. A mapping interface isprovided for display to the user 704, such that the user can navigateto, or otherwise locate, one or more locations of interest. Variousapproaches to locating one or more locations via a mapping interface areknown in the art and as such will not be discussed herein in detail.

A selection of at least one location displayed via the mappingapplication is received from the user 706, such as by a user clicking ona displayed building or selecting an address or region, etc. Theapplication, or a system or service in communication with theapplication, can attempt to determine information about the location,such as a type of the location, a store or vendor located at thatlocation, a number of retail establishments at that location, and othertypes of information discussed or suggested elsewhere herein. At leastsome of this information can be displayed to the user 710, which canenable the user to confirm that the user selection was properlyinterpreted to include the desired location(s) for the authorization. Ifthe user indicates that the information is not correct 712, or at leastnot what the user intended, the user can be prompted to provideadditional information and/or update the selected location 714, etc.Using the additional and/or updated information, the application canagain attempt to determine the appropriate information for thatlocation. Once the correct location is determined, the user can provideinformation for the intended recipient, the amount of the authorization,any limitations or other stipulations, and other such information 716,although this information could be received before or with the locationin other embodiments. The application can make any necessaryauthentications or verifications to ensure that sender is authorized toprovide the authorized amount and the intended recipient is able toreceive the authorized amount. As discussed elsewhere herein, this caninvolve a direct transfer of funds, generation of a temporary account, alimited authorization against an existing account, etc.

As mentioned, in at least some embodiments a notification can begenerated for the recipient 718 indicating that the recipient has a newfunding authorization. In some embodiments, this may reflect funds addedto an existing authorization, while in other embodiments this canreflect a new authorization from a new or existing source. Thenotification in some embodiments will provide at least the location ofthe authorization, and can also include information such as the identityof the sender, any limitations on the usage of the funds, etc.Information for the authorization, such as recipient identityinformation and authorization location information can be stored 720 forsubsequent authorization. Various other aspects can be utilized as wellwithin the scope of the various embodiments.

As discussed, a notification can be provided in various ways and atvarious times, to convey varying levels of information. For example, anotification might be provided to a recipient as soon as a newauthorization is available, where the notification might include anidentity of the sender, an amount of available funds, one or morelocations where the funds may be spent, and other such information. Inother embodiments, a notification might be sent indicating that therecipient has a new authorization at a certain location, but theidentity or the sender and/or amount might not be provided until therecipient arrives at that location or attempts to utilize the funds aspart of a transaction. In some embodiments, a recipient might only benotified of an authorization when the recipient reaches a certainlocation, such as a store, school, or other location where the funds areauthorized. Various other approaches can be utilized as well, asdiscussed and suggested elsewhere herein.

In at least some embodiments the notification and/or authorization mightbe contingent upon the recipient performing a specific action, such asto go to one or more specific locations. For example, a recipient havingpotentially available funds might carry a portable device with thatrecipient, enabling the user's location to be tracked over time. Usingsuch information, an authorization or notification might be providedonly upon the recipient visiting a certain location. For example, arecipient might only have funds authorized as part of a birthday gift ifthat recipient first visits his or her grandmother. In some cases, therecipient might receive the notification but the funds are not actuallyauthorized until the recipient is determined to be at the grandmother'slocation. Alternatively, the authorization might be provided but therecipient might not be notified of the authorization until the recipientvisits the grandmother's house.

Similar approaches could be used in other embodiments to enableincremental payments to be made to a recipient based upon meetingcertain criteria. For example, a courier might not receive paymentauthorization until all routes for a given day are determined to becompleted, or might receive partial payment for each route as that routeis completed. Similarly, government contractors or other such employeesor contractors might have authorizations made upon satisfaction ofvarious criteria. For example, position of a contractor can be trackedover time, and payment authorized or declined based upon where thecontractor goes over a certain period of time. In some embodiments,funds can be tied to a specific geographical area such that a citygovernment employee is only authorized to spend city funds at businessesor locations within the city limits. Similarly, the authorization can betied to specific businesses, which can enable contracts to be made withspecific stores or chains that can result in discounts or other suchsavings. Locations at which funds are spent then can be tracked forvarious purposes, such as auditing, performance evaluation, etc. In someembodiments, a pizza deliver person might receive authorized funds formaking deliveries within the allotted amount of time. Various otherincremental and/or contingent payments can be authorized as well withinthe scope of the various embodiments.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example process 800 for utilizing authorized fundsas payment for at least part of a transaction in accordance with atleast one embodiment. In this example, a request for a transaction isreceived 802, such as by a person scanning one or more items into aregister or computing system. Identifying information can also bereceived for the transaction from a recipient device 804, such as by therecipient of the funds tapping an NFC-capable device against an NFCterminal of the retailer. A computing system for the retailer can send arequest to an appropriate entity, such as a payment authorizationmanagement service, to obtain confirmation that the usage of funds forthe transaction is authorized, where the request includes at least theidentifying information obtained from the recipient device and locationinformation (e.g., geo-location data or address information) for thelocation of the retailer 806. As discussed elsewhere herein, thetransmitted information can also include a requested amount, informationabout items in the transaction, facial capture data of the recipientinitiating the transaction, and the like. After the appropriate entityprocesses the data, a response will be received 808 indicating whetherthe recipient is authorized to utilize one or more sources of fundingfor part of the transaction. In particular, the response can indicatewhether at least one designated source of funding (e.g., a temporaryaccount, funds transfer, etc.) is able to be used for the transactionbased at least in part upon the terms of the authorization, the identityof the recipient, and the location of the transaction. If at least onefunding source is authorized 810, the application of funds can beenabled to be used for the transaction up to the authorized amount 812.In at least some embodiments, a notification can also be sent to thesender or source of those funds 814. Any remainder of the cost of thetransaction beyond the authorized amount then can be made up using oneor more other sources of funding. If the use of the funds is notauthorized, the usage of those funds can be denied for the transaction816.

As discussed, such an approach can enable a sender to provide a virtualgift card to a recipient for a location that may or may not otherwisesupport gift cards. Similarly, such an approach can enable a sender togive a recipient money while maintaining some control over where and howthat money is spent. In at least some embodiments, a log can bemaintained indicating usage of various authorized funds, which then canbe analyzed at any time to determine how those funds are being utilizedover time.

As another advantage, the virtual gift card can be accessed utilizingthe recipient's phone or portable computing device, and thus is morelikely to be with the recipient when the recipient is at the location ofthe authorization than a gift card, which the recipient might not carryaround and might even lose, misplace, or forget about. In at least someembodiments, a notification can be generated for a recipient when therecipient has an authorization for a nearby location. For example, ifthe recipient enters a store and the recipient has an authorized amountfor that store, the recipient's device might vibrate or emit an audibletone indicating to the recipient that there are funds available.Similarly, the authorizations can be aggregated to enable the recipientto quickly determine how much money the recipient has authorized forthat location. In some embodiments, a recipient might be at a locationthat is not necessarily designated as an authorized location, but mightattempt to purchase a type of item that has an authorization, and therecipient could be automatically notified of the authorization and askedwhether the recipient would like to utilize those funds for thedetermined item. Various other approaches are possible as well withinthe scope of the various embodiments.

In some embodiments, the location at which the funds are authorized canbe more than an address, perimeter, or other such designation. Forexample, a parent might want to make sure that a child uses the fundsfor food at a restaurant instead of paying a friend for concert ticketswhile the child is within the bounds of the restaurant. Thus, thelocation can also include information such as a retailer identity orother such identifier, as well as or in place of geo-location or othersuch data. If a business is identified as part of the authorization, forexample, then the transaction may have to involve that business in adeterminable way. Alternatively, the sender might not care how the fundsare used in an area and simply might authorize usage of the funds withina boundary, such as the perimeter of the state fairgrounds.

In some embodiments, the authorization management entity, or a relatedentity, might provide the limited accounts for the authorizations. Forexample, a sender might submit an authorization to the managemententity, which could obtain payment from the sender for theauthorization. The management entity could then issue a temporaryaccount number to the recipient corresponding to the stored funds. Whenthe recipient attempts to utilize the authorized amount, the funds forthe temporary account number then will come under direction of themanagement entity. And as discussed, access to the account can be tiedto the dual-key pair of the device authentication and the location ofthe transaction, etc.

In some embodiments, the sender can partition how the authorized amountis to be spent. For example, a child might get $500 a month to spendwithin the perimeter of a college, but might have allocations such as upto $200 month for food, up to $50 for supplies, $50 for entertainment,etc. Or the parent might instead specify that there is a $50 limit onentertainment, and any other usage within the college perimeter isenabled. In other embodiments, the parent might allocate $200 to thecafeteria on campus, $100 to the book store, etc. Various ways ofdistributing or sub-allocating the funds can be used as well within thescope of the various embodiments.

In some embodiments, a recipient can have an authorized amount pushed tothat user's device when the user enters a store, mall, or other suchlocation. This could be, for example, a $5 gift card that can be used bythe user as long as the user is within the designated location, engagingin a transaction with a particular retailer, etc. In at least someembodiments this temporary account can have a limited lifetime, suchthat if the user does not make a purchase that day the temporary accountexpires, etc.

In some embodiments, a user accessing a mapping application can seelocations at which the user has funds allocated. For example, a usermight be walking downtown looking for something to eat. The user couldpotentially access a map on the user's phone that would indicate on amap (or other such display) where nearby the user has authorized fundsto spend for food. In some embodiments, each location where there is apending authorization could potentially be highlighted or otherwisedesignated such that the user can plan where to go based on where thereare pending authorizations.

In some embodiments, users might also put authorization limits onthemselves. For example, a user going clothes shopping might put a limiton the amount they are authorized to spend at the mall, to ensure theydo not spend more than a predetermined amount. Similarly, a user mightauthorize an amount to spend while in a town on vacation or going outwith friends, such that the user does not get carried away andoverspend. Various other limits can be applied advantageously as shouldbe apparent in light of the present disclosure.

A user might place restrictions on funds for various other reasons aswell. For example, a user might be trying to quit smoking, and thusmight restrict funds from being used for smoking-related items or evenat locations where smoking is allowed. Similarly, a user who is arecovering alcoholic or otherwise is trying to avoid alcohol mightrestrict his or her own funds from being spent on alcohol or even beingspent at locations where alcohol is available. Users with gamblingproblems might prevent funds from being accessible at casinos, userstrying to lose weight can limit funds to certain types or amounts offood, etc. Various other self-limitations can be applied as well asshould be apparent in light of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a computing device 900 that can be usedin accordance with various embodiments. Although a portable computingdevice (e.g., a smart phone, an electronic book reader, or tabletcomputer) is shown, it should be understood that any device capable ofreceiving, transmitting, and/or processing information can be used inaccordance with various embodiments discussed herein. The devices caninclude, for example, desktop computers, notebook computers, electronicbook readers, personal data assistants, cellular phones, video gamingconsoles or controllers, television set top boxes, and portable mediaplayers, among others.

In this example, the computing device 900 has a display screen 902,which under normal operation will display information to a user facingthe display screen (e.g., on the same side of the computing device asthe display screen). The computing device in this example can includeone or more image capture elements, in this example including one imagecapture element 906 on a back side of the device, although it should beunderstood that image capture elements could also, or alternatively, beplaced on the sides or corners of the device, and that there can be anyappropriate number of capture elements of similar or different types.Each image capture element 906 may be, for example, a camera, acharge-coupled device (CCD), a motion detection sensor, or an infraredsensor, or can utilize any other appropriate image capturing technology.An image capture element can be used to capture image information of auser of the device, which can be used for purposes such as facialrecognition and identity verification. The computing device can alsoinclude at least one microphone or other audio capture element(s)capable of capturing audio data, as may be useful for voice recognitionand user identification in accordance with other embodiments. Variousother types of input can be utilized as well as known in the art for usewith such devices. The example computing device 900 also includes atleast one secure verification component 904, such as an NFC chip havinga secure authorization module or portion contained therein. As known inthe art, an NFC chip can effectively enable the user of the device toutilize the device as a digital wallet for establishments that supportNFC technology.

FIG. 10 illustrates a set of basic components of a computing device 1000such as the device 900 described with respect to FIG. 9. In thisexample, the device includes at least one processor 1002 for executinginstructions that can be stored in a memory device or element 1004, Aswould be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, the device caninclude many types of memory, data storage or non-transitorycomputer-readable media, such as a first data storage for programinstructions for execution by the processor 1002, the same or separatestorage can be used for images or data, a removable memory can beavailable for sharing information with other devices, and any number ofcommunication approaches can be available for sharing with otherdevices. The device typically will include some type of display element1006, such as a touch screen, electronic ink (e-ink), organic lightemitting diode (OLED) or liquid crystal display (LCD), although devicessuch as portable media players might convey information via other means,such as through audio speakers. As discussed, the device in manyembodiments will include at least one image capture element 1010, suchas at least one ambient light camera that is able to image a user,people, or objects in the vicinity of the device. An image captureelement can include any appropriate technology, such as a CCD imagecapture element having a sufficient resolution, focal range and viewablearea, to capture an image of the user when the user is operating thedevice. Methods for capturing images or video using an image captureelement with a computing device are well known in the art and will notbe discussed herein in detail. It should be understood that imagecapture can be performed using a single image, multiple images, periodicimaging, continuous image capturing, image streaming, etc.

The device can include one or more secure authentication components 1008enabling the device to provide identifying information to be used inauthorizing payment for a transaction. As discussed, the authenticationcomponents can include NFC or other such components for providing secureidentification information. The device can also include at least oneadditional input device 1012 able to receive conventional input from auser. This conventional input can include, for example, a push button,touch pad, touch screen, wheel, joystick, keyboard, mouse, trackball,keypad or any other such device or element whereby a user can input acommand to the device. These I/O devices could even be connected by awireless infrared or Bluetooth or other link as well in someembodiments. In some embodiments, however, such a device might notinclude any buttons at all and might be controlled only through acombination of visual and audio commands such that a user can controlthe device without having to be in contact with the device.

As discussed, different approaches can be implemented in variousenvironments in accordance with the described embodiments. For example,FIG. 11 illustrates an example of an environment 1100 for implementingaspects in accordance with various embodiments. As will be appreciated,although a Web-based environment is used for purposes of explanation,different environments may be used, as appropriate, to implement variousembodiments. The system includes an electronic client device 1102, whichcan include any appropriate device operable to send and receiverequests, messages or information over an appropriate network 1104 andconvey information back to a user of the device. Examples of such clientdevices include personal computers, cell phones, handheld messagingdevices, laptop computers, set-top boxes, personal data assistants,electronic book readers and the like. The network can include anyappropriate network, including an intranet, the Internet, a cellularnetwork, a local area network or any other such network or combinationthereof. Components used for such a system can depend at least in partupon the type of network and/or environment selected. Protocols andcomponents for communicating via such a network are well known and willnot be discussed herein in detail. Communication over the network can beenabled via wired or wireless connections and combinations thereof. Inthis example, the network includes the Internet, as the environmentincludes a Web server 1106 for receiving requests and serving content inresponse thereto, although for other networks, an alternative deviceserving a similar purpose could be used, as would be apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art.

The illustrative environment includes at least one application server1108 and a data store 1110. It should be understood that there can beseveral application servers, layers or other elements, processes orcomponents, which may be chained or otherwise configured, which caninteract to perform tasks such as obtaining data from an appropriatedata store. As used herein, the term “data store” refers to any deviceor combination of devices capable of storing, accessing and retrievingdata, which may include any combination and number of data servers,databases, data storage devices and data storage media, in any standard,distributed or clustered environment. The application server 1108 caninclude any appropriate hardware and software for integrating with thedata store 1110 as needed to execute aspects of one or more applicationsfor the client device and handling a majority of the data access andbusiness logic for an application. The application server providesaccess control services in cooperation with the data store and is ableto generate content such as text, graphics, audio and/or video to betransferred to the user, which may be served to the user by the Webserver 1106 in the form of HTML, XML or another appropriate structuredlanguage in this example. The handling of all requests and responses, aswell as the delivery of content between the client device 1102 and theapplication server 1108, can be handled by the Web server 1106. Itshould be understood that the Web and application servers are notrequired and are merely example components, as structured code discussedherein can be executed on any appropriate device or host machine asdiscussed elsewhere herein.

The data store 1110 can include several separate data tables, databasesor other data storage mechanisms and media for storing data relating toa particular aspect. For example, the data store illustrated includesmechanisms for storing content (e.g., production data) 1112 and userinformation 1116, which can be used to serve content for the productionside. The data store is also shown to include a mechanism for storinglog or session data 1114. It should be understood that there can be manyother aspects that may need to be stored in the data store, such as pageimage information and access rights information, which can be stored inany of the above listed mechanisms as appropriate or in additionalmechanisms in the data store 1110. The data store 1110 is operable,through logic associated therewith, to receive instructions from theapplication server 1108 and obtain, update or otherwise process data inresponse thereto. In one example, a user might submit a search requestfor a certain type of item. In this case, the data store might accessthe user information to verify the identity of the user and can accessthe catalog detail information to obtain information about items of thattype. The information can then be returned to the user, such as in aresults listing on a Web page that the user is able to view via abrowser on the user device 1102. Information for a particular item ofinterest can be viewed in a dedicated page or window of the browser.

Each server typically will include an operating system that providesexecutable program instructions for the general administration andoperation of that server and typically will include computer-readablemedium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of theserver, allow the server to perform its intended functions. Suitableimplementations for the operating system and general functionality ofthe servers are known or commercially available and are readilyimplemented by persons having ordinary skill in the art, particularly inlight of the disclosure herein.

The environment in one embodiment is a distributed computing environmentutilizing several computer systems and components that areinterconnected via communication links, using one or more computernetworks or direct connections. However, it will be appreciated by thoseof ordinary skill in the art that such a system could operate equallywell in a system having fewer or a greater number of components than areillustrated in FIG. 11. Thus, the depiction of the system 1100 in FIG.11 should be taken as being illustrative in nature and not limiting tothe scope of the disclosure.

The various embodiments can be further implemented in a wide variety ofoperating environments, which in some cases can include one or more usercomputers or computing devices which can be used to operate any of anumber of applications. User or client devices can include any of anumber of general purpose personal computers, such as desktop or laptopcomputers running a standard operating system, as well as cellular,wireless and handheld devices running mobile software and capable ofsupporting a number of networking and messaging protocols. Such a systemcan also include a number of workstations running any of a variety ofcommercially-available operating systems and other known applicationsfor purposes such as development and database management. These devicescan also include other electronic devices, such as dummy terminals,thin-clients, gaming systems and other devices capable of communicatingvia a network.

Most embodiments utilize at least one network that would be familiar tothose skilled in the art for supporting communications using any of avariety of commercially-available protocols, such as TCP/IP, OSI, FTP,UPnP, NFS, CIFS and AppleTalk. The network can be, for example, a localarea network, a wide-area network, a virtual private network, theInternet, an intranet, an extranet, a public switched telephone network,an infrared network, a wireless network and any combination thereof.

In embodiments utilizing a Web server, the Web server can run any of avariety of server or mid-tier applications, including HTTP servers, FTPservers, CGI servers, data servers, Java servers and businessapplication servers. The server(s) may also be capable of executingprograms or scripts in response requests from user devices, such as byexecuting one or more Web applications that may be implemented as one ormore scripts or programs written in any programming language, such asJava®, C, C# or C++ or any scripting language, such as Perl, Python orTCL, as well as combinations thereof. The server(s) may also includedatabase servers, including without limitation those commerciallyavailable from Oracle®, Microsoft®, Sybase® and IBM®.

The environment can include a variety of data stores and other memoryand storage media as discussed above. These can reside in a variety oflocations, such as on a storage medium local to (and/or resident in) oneor more of the computers or remote from any or all of the computersacross the network. In a particular set of embodiments, the informationmay reside in a storage-area network (SAN) familiar to those skilled inthe art. Similarly, any necessary files for performing the functionsattributed to the computers, servers or other network devices may bestored locally and/or remotely, as appropriate. Where a system includescomputerized devices, each such device can include hardware elementsthat may be electrically coupled via a bus, the elements including, forexample, at least one central processing unit (CPU), at least one inputdevice (e.g., a mouse, keyboard, controller, touch-sensitive displayelement or keypad) and at least one output device (e.g., a displaydevice, printer or speaker). Such a system may also include one or morestorage devices, such as disk drives, optical storage devices andsolid-state storage devices such as random access memory (RAM) orread-only memory (ROM), as well as removable media devices, memorycards, flash cards, etc.

Such devices can also include a computer-readable storage media reader,a communications device (e.g., a modem, a network card (wireless orwired), an infrared communication device) and working memory asdescribed above. The computer-readable storage media reader can beconnected with, or configured to receive, a computer-readable storagemedium representing remote, local, fixed and/or removable storagedevices as well as storage media for temporarily and/or more permanentlycontaining, storing, transmitting and retrieving computer-readableinformation. The system and various devices also typically will includea number of software applications, modules, services or other elementslocated within at least one working memory device, including anoperating system and application programs such as a client applicationor Web browser. It should be appreciated that alternate embodiments mayhave numerous variations from that described above. For example,customized hardware might also be used and/or particular elements mightbe implemented in hardware, software (including portable software, suchas applets) or both. Further, connection to other computing devices suchas network input/output devices may be employed.

Storage media and computer readable media for containing code, orportions of code, can include any appropriate media known or used in theart, including storage media and communication media, such as but notlimited to volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable mediaimplemented in any method or technology for storage and/or transmissionof information such as computer readable instructions, data structures,program modules or other data, including RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memoryor other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) orother optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices or any other medium which canbe used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by asystem device. Based on the disclosure and teachings provided herein, aperson of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate other ways and/ormethods to implement the various embodiments.

The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will, however, beevident that various modifications and changes may be made thereuntowithout departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention asset forth in the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of enabling payment from a source offunds to be authorized for a transaction at a specified location,comprising: receiving location data at a first computing device;generating a map on a display of the first computing device based atleast in part on the received location data, the map including aplurality of selectable locations each corresponding to a physicallocation at which an amount of funds may be designated for use;receiving a first selection of a first selectable location of theplurality of selectable locations; presenting map information on the mapto be displayed to a first user of the first computing device, the mapinformation being presented in response to the first selection of thefirst selectable location of the plurality of selectable locations, andthe map information being associated with the first selectable location;displaying map information about one or more entities located within afirst determined physical distance from the first selectable locationbased at least in part on the first selection of the first selectablelocation; receiving from the first user a second selection of at leastone of the one or more entities within the first determined physicaldistance, an identity of a second user, and an amount of funds to beavailable to the second user to execute transactions with respect to theat least one of the one or more entities; storing the identity of thesecond user, the amount of funds to be available to the second user, andthe selected at least one of the one or more entities collectively aspayment authorization data, the identity of the second user, the amountof funds to be available to the second user, and the selected at leastone of the one or more entities each being displayed on the map inresponse to the second selection; automatically designating the amountof funds as available to the second user to execute transactions withrespect to the selected at least one of the one or more entities,wherein the amount of funds is displayed on a second computing device ofthe second user once designated as available to the second user;receiving a request from a payment system of the at least one of the oneor more entities to authorize use of the available amount of funds aspayment for a particular transaction being executed by the second user,the request including the identity of the second user and geographicinformation of the at least one of the one or more entities; determiningthat the identity of the second user in the request matches the identityof the second user in the stored payment authorization data and that thegeographic information in the request corresponds to a location withinthe first determined distance from the first selectable locationcorresponding to the map information displayed to the first user of thefirst computing device; and causing the amount of funds to betransmitted to the payment system of the selected at least one of theone or more entities to complete the particular transaction based atleast in part on the determination that the identity in the requestmatches the identity of the second user in the stored paymentauthorization data and that the geographic information in the requestcorresponds to a location within the first determined distance from thefirst selectable location.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:generating a temporary account associated with the amount of funds;causing the amount of funds to be transferred from an account associatedwith the first user to the temporary account; and providing accountinformation for the temporary account to the second computing device. 3.The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining account informationfor an account associated with the first user; and enabling the paymentfor at least part of the transaction to be pulled from the accountassociated with the first user based at least in part upon the accountinformation.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: flagging theamount of funds with any limitations specified by the first user.
 5. Amethod of authorizing a future payment towards at least one transactionof a recipient, comprising: receiving location data at a first computingdevice; generating a map-based interface on a display of the firstcomputing device based at least in part on the received location data,the map-based interface including a plurality of selectable locationseach corresponding to a physical location at which an amount of fundsmay be designated for use; receiving a first selection of at least oneselectable location of the plurality of selectable locations; providingfirst information for display on the map-based interface informationabout one or more entities located within the first determined physicaldistance from the at least one selectable location based at least inpart on the first selection of the first selectable location; receivinga second selection of at least one of the one or more entities withinthe first determined physical distance, identifying information for anintended recipient, and an amount of funds to be available to theintended recipient to execute transactions with respect to the at leastone of the one or more entities within the first determined physicaldistance; storing payment authorization information including the amountof funds, the selected at least one of the one or more entities, and theidentifying information for the intended recipient, the amount of funds,the selected at least one of the one or more entities, and theidentifying information for the intended recipient each being displayedon the map-based interface in response to the second selection; andautomatically designating the amount of funds as available to theintended recipient to execute transactions with respect to the selectedat least one of the one or more entities, at least a portion of thedesignated amount of funds to be released upon (i) receiving a requestfor authorization of payment from a payment system of the selected atleast one of the one or more entities, the request identifying theintended recipient, the the selected at least one of the one or moreentities, and geographic information of the selected at least one of theone or more entities, and (ii) determining that the intended recipientidentified in the request matches the identifying information for theintended recipient stored in the payment authorization data and that thegeographic information in the request corresponds to a location withinthe first determined physical distance from the first selectablelocation, wherein the amount of funds is displayed on a second computingdevice of the intended recipient once designated as available to theintended recipient.
 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:enabling a user to select at least one limitation on at least one typeof item to which the amount of funds is able to be applied.
 7. Themethod of claim 5, further comprising: enabling a user to specify atleast one of a frequency or number of occurrences of an availability ofthe amount of funds.
 8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:enabling a user to specify a source of funds to be used to supply theamount of funds.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the paymentauthorization information is stored by an entity other than an entityassociated with the source of funds.
 10. The method of claim 5, furthercomprising: enabling a user to request for a notification upon theamount of funds being applied to a transaction by the intendedrecipient.
 11. The method of claim 5, wherein the user is able to selectat least one of multiple locations of at least one type of establishmentor multiple types of establishment within a geographical region.
 12. Themethod of claim 5, wherein the information for display about the one ormore entities located within the first determined distance from the atleast one location includes graphical representations of the one or moreentities.
 13. The method of claim 5, wherein the user is further able toselect one or more locations where the intended recipient is not able toutilize the amount of funds.
 14. A method of applying funds to atransaction, comprising: receiving at a first computing deviceidentifying information for a first user and a current geographiclocation of the first user from a payment system of an entity; obtainingdesignated funds authorized to be applied to one or more transactionsfor the first user at one or more geographic locations within adetermined physical distance from the current geographic location of thefirst user based at least in part upon the identifying information andthe current geographic location of the first user, the designated fundsbeing automatically designated as available to the first user to executetransactions with respect to the entity, the designated funds beingdesignated by a second computing device of a second user via a map-basedinterface generated on the second computing device based at least inpart on location data at the second computing device, on condition thatat least a portion of the designated funds is to be released upondetermining that the received identifying information of the first usermatches identifying information for the first user previously stored onthe second computing device and geographic information of the entitycorresponds to one of the one or more geographical locations within thedetermined physical distance from the current geographic location of thefirst user, wherein the designated funds are displayed on the firstcomputing device of the first user once designated as available to thefirst user; providing for display on the map-based interface the one ormore geographic locations where the designated funds are authorized tobe applied for the first user; and enabling at least one portion of thedesignated funds to be applied to one or more transactions at the one ormore geographic locations where the designated funds are authorized tobe applied for the first user.
 15. The method of claim 14, whereinenabling at least a portion of the designated funds to be applied to oneor more transactions includes sending a request to a separate entity,the request including at least the current geographic location of theuser and the identifying information.
 16. The method of claim 14,wherein receiving identifying information for the user includesreceiving at least one identifier from the first computing device. 17.The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one identifier istransmitted using at least one near field communications (NFC)component.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein multiple sources of fundsare capable of being applied to the one or more transactions when eachof those sources is authorized for the user at the one or moregeographic locations.
 19. A non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium storing instructions for authorizing a payment, the instructionswhen executed by a processor causing the processor to: receive locationdata at a first computing device; generate a map-based interface on adisplay of the first computing device based at least in part on thereceived location data, the map-based interface including a plurality ofselectable locations each corresponding to a physical location at whichan amount of funds may be designated for use; receive a first selectionof at least one selectable location of the plurality of selectablelocations; provide first information for display on the map-basedinterface information about one or more entities located within thefirst determined physical distance from the at least one selectablelocation based at least in part on the first selection of the firstselectable location; receive a second selection of at least one of theone or more entities within the first determined physical distance,identifying information for an intended recipient, and an amount offunds to be available to the intended recipient to execute transactionswith respect to the at least one of the one or more entities within thefirst determined physical distance; store payment authorizationinformation including the amount of funds, the selected at least one ofthe one or more entities, and the identifying information for theintended recipient, the amount of funds, the selected at least one ofthe one or more entities, and the identifying information for theintended recipient each being displayed on the map-based interface inresponse to the second selection; and automatically designate the amountof funds as available to the intended recipient to execute transactionswith respect to the selected at least one of the one or more entities,at least a portion of the designated amount of funds to be released upon(i) receiving a request for authorization of payment from a paymentsystem of the selected at least one of the one or more entities, therequest identifying the intended recipient, the the selected at leastone of the one or more entities, and geographic information of theselected at least one of the one or more entities, and (ii) determiningthat the intended recipient identified in the request matches theidentifying information for the intended recipient stored in the paymentauthorization data and that the geographic information in the requestcorresponds to a location within the first determined physical distancefrom the first selectable location, wherein the amount of funds isdisplayed on a second computing device of the intended recipient oncedesignated as available to the intended recipient.
 20. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein theinstructions when executed further cause the processor to: enable theuser to select at least one limitation on at least one type of item towhich the amount of funds is able to be applied; and enable the user tospecify at least one of a frequency or number of occurrences of anavailability of the amount of funds.
 21. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructionswhen executed further cause the processor to: enable the user to specifya source of funds to be used to supply the amount of funds.
 22. Anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions forapplying funds to a transaction, the instructions when executed by aprocessor causing the processor to: receive at a first computing deviceidentifying information for a first user and a current geographiclocation of the first user from a payment system of an entity; obtainingdesignated funds authorized to be applied to one or more transactionsfor the first user at one or more geographic locations within adetermined physical distance from the current geographic location of thefirst user based at least in part upon the identifying information andthe current geographic location of the first user, the designated fundsbeing automatically designated as available to the first user to executetransactions with respect to the entity, the designated funds beingdesignated by a second computing device of a second user via a map-basedinterface generated on the second computing device based at least inpart on location data at the second computing device, on the conditionthat at least a portion of the designated funds is to be released upondetermining that the received identifying information of the first usermatches identifying information for the first user previously stored onthe second computing device and geographic information of the entitycorresponds to one of the one or more geographical locations within thedetermined physical distance from the current geographic location of thefirst user, wherein the designated funds are displayed on the firstcomputing device of the first user once designated as available to thefirst user; provide for display on the map-based interface the one ormore geographic locations where the designated funds are authorized tobe applied for the first user; and enable at least one portion of thedesignated funds to be applied to one or more transactions at the one ormore geographic locations where the designated funds are authorized tobe applied for the first user.
 23. The non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium of claim 22, wherein the instructions when executedfurther cause the processor to enable the first user to send a messageto the second user when the at least one portion of the designated fundsare applied to the one or more transactions.